Art of making candles



Patented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE EDWIN IE. NELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA ART OF MAKING CANDLES No Drawing.

This invention relates to an'improvement in the art of making candles from solid combustible materials which are capable of bein melted and molded, such as solid parafiIn hydrocarbons, vegetable waxes, animal fats, or mixtures of these materials.

The art of making candles has been brought to a high state of perfection, especially in the proper blending of combustible solid wax-like materials for making the body of the candle. As is well known, a candle consists of two component parts, namely, the body and the wick.

At the present time candles are made in various colors, using proper dyes and pigments. The purposeof this color in the material is purely ornamental, the color chosen by the prospective user depending mainly upon the occasion for which the candle is to be used and the personal choice of the user. In like fashion, candles have been made up with perfumes or other materials of pleasant odor, which are disseminated when the candle is burned.

It is the purpose of the present invention to impart a distinctive color to the flame. In this manner it is possible to have all color combinations, e. g.,to have the color of the candle match the color of the flame, or to have a candle of one color and a flame of another, thus adding greatly to the artistic value of the candle. As will be later described, it is possible to have 'a candle which will burn with a varied colored flame, changing as the combustion progresses. 7

It is well known in the art of pyrotechnics that certain compounds impart a definite color to a flame, particularly salts of the various metals. Usually the color of the flame is a function of the metallic element of the salt rather than the acid radical.

To cite a few examples of a great varlety of salts which can be used ,in connection with the present invention, strontium salts, e. g., chloride, nitrate, sulfate, give a scarlet flame; barium salts give a green flame; potassium salts produce a violet flame; copper halides give an azure flame; zinc salts produce a white flame; selenium salts produce a light blue flame; calcium salts produce a Application filed July 29, 1929. Serial No. 382,087.

brick red flame; sodium salts produce a bright yellow flame of a more definite and intense yellow than an ordinary flame.

, It is proposed to make use of this property of the various salts in the present invention by incorporating salts either in the body of the candle or in the wick. In accomplishing this object, the material composing the body of the candle is melted and the salt in a finely divided state is added while stirring; this mixture may then be used for making up the candle by molding or otherwise. As an alternative, the wick may be saturated with a concentrated solution: of the saltand then dried. Either of these methods, or both, may be used in making will give the corresponding colors of the salts, and finely divided metals give particular effects, e. g., aluminum will give a bright white light, with perhaps scintillating particles being given off from time to time; magnesium is another metal which may be used to obtain similar effects.

Having now given the principal objects of the present invention, I will describe a specific example illustrative of the invention.

Paraifin wax or a mixture of paraffin wax with a small percentage ofstearic acid or bees-wax is melted and 1%, more or less, of finely ground strontium nitrate may be added thereto. The wick of the candle may be immersed in a saturated solution of strontium nitrate and properly dried. The can- I dle is then prepared by the usual manner of may be made up with strontium salts, the second third with zinc salts, and the last third with a mixture of copper chloride and potassium salts. The candle itself may be of an desired color, e. g. the to third may be re the intermediate third w ite, and the bottom third blue; the flames will correspond substantially to the colors of the sections, namely, red, white and blue.

I In using salts and metals for the purpose of the present invention, where they are ,incorporated into the body of the candle, a trace to approximatel 2% of the salt or metal used relative to t e candle body on the basis of weight will give the desired result.

The above descriptlon is sufiiciently clear to illustrate the Wlde scope of the invention and to show its application as an artistic and useful development.

I claim as my invention:

A candle adapted to burn with a varicolored flame, said candle being built up in sections of different color, each section containing a substance which imparts to the flame when the candle is 1i hted a color corresponding to the color 0 such section.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

EDWIN F. NELSON.

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